EDCTP Association AO

The challenge

As of mid-2026, 34 countries in Africa are part of the EDCTP Association, the structure that represents the interests of the member states participating in the Joint Undertaking (JU) initiative. The EDCTP Association is managed by a secretariat that includes a presence in sub-Saharan Africa – known as the Africa Office. 

Hosted by the South African Medical Research Centre (SAMRC) in Cape Town, South Africa, the Africa Office plays a key role in EDCTP operations, liaising with a wide range of regional stakeholders, raising the profile of the Global Health EDCTP3 programme, and strengthening coordination and collaboration across Global Health EDCTP3-funded initiatives. 

The operations of the Africa Office are supported through the Global Health EDCTP3 programme through two-year grants, the most recent of which covers the period 2026–2028.

The project

The latest round of funding will enable the Africa Office to continue and extend its work. Priorities include:

• Proposal development and grants management: Organising workshops to provide guidance on grant proposal development and grants management. In addition, five Regional Finance and Operations Contact Points have been set up at well-established academic centres to support application development and build capacity in grants management. 
• Strengthening regional collaborations: Engaging with EDCTP Networks of Excellence and Pandemic Preparedness networks to facilitate closer working and promote new collaborations.
• Regional partnerships: Contributing to the implementation memorandums of understanding MoU) with key regional stakeholders, including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Africa including opening discussions for potential MoU with other like-minded organisations working in the sub-Saharan African region.
• National alignment: Engaging with member states in Africa to foster closer alignment of national research programmes and facilitating the joining of the EDCTP Association fr countries that are not yet members. 
• Networking and knowledge exchange: Organising an annual scientific meeting for EDCTP fellows from Africa, EDCTP Networks of Excellence and Pandemic Preparedness and contributing to the development of EDCTP Forums.
• Linking alumni: Promoting the EDCTP Alumni Platform and tracking career development, including by enhancing the EDCTP Fellows Alumni Platform and extending linkages to other data sources, such as the Pan-Africa Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR) which is also enhanced and optimised for easy access to its data. 
• Awareness-raising: Contributing to Global Health EDCTP3 communications activities and raising the profile of its aims, objectives and activities within the African research ecosystem. 

Impact

The 2026-2028 Africa Office project  will make a major contribution to capacity strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa and to promoting closer alignment of stakeholders active in African health research. It will:

• Strengthen the capacity of institutions and scientists to prepare competitive grant proposals and manage grants effectively in Africa. 
• Strengthen EDCTP partnerships with a range of key stakeholders, including national governments, funders, industry and regional public health bodies working in African clinical research ecosystem.
• Raise awareness of EDCTP objectives, activities and impacts in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Strengthen collaborations across EDCTP-funded research programmes and networks in the region.

Collectively, the activities of the Africa Office will help to coordinate and align the activities of multiple bodies, and thereby maximise the impact of the Global Health EDCTP3 programme in Africa.